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IVA 


[IIouSB^BlLLUfeJ      .] 

HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES,  February  28,  1863. 


A.    BTLT. 

To  be  entitled  An  Act  to  provide  certain  regulations  for  holding 
elections  for  representatives  in  the  Congress  of  the  Confederate 
States. 

1  The  Congress  of  the  Confederate  Stalts  of  America  do  e)iact.   That, 

2  in  the  several  States  of  the  Confederate  States  of  America,  the 

3  regulations  for  holding  elections  for  representatives  in  the  Con- 

4  gress  of  the  Confederate  States  .shall  be  as  follows  : 

5  I.  Such  elections   shall  be  held  iu    all  States  wherein  no  pro- 

6  vision  exists  by  law  fixing  the  time  for  holding  the  same,  on  the 

7  first   Wednesday  in   November  next,  and   in  each   second  year 
*  8     thereafter. 

9  II.  Elections  shall    be  so  held  by  the  officers,  autlioiities  or 

10  persons  appointed  or  provided    by  the  laws  of  the  several  States 

1 1  for  the  purpose  of  holding  such  elections  and    at  the  })1aces  so 

1 2  provided,  or,  if  no  provision  has  been  made  or  shall  be  made  there- 

13  for,   then   by   the   State  authority,   officers  or   persons,    who,  at 


2 

14  time,  are  authorized  to  hold  elections  for  members  of  the  mo8t 

15  numerous  branch  of  the  State  Legislature. 

16  III.  Such  elections  shall  be  conducted   according  to  the  mode 

17  prescribed  by  the  laws  of  the  several  States,  except  so  far  as  the 
IS  same  are  modified  by  this  act. 

19  1\.  In  such  elections   every  citij^en  of  the  Confederate  States 

20  who  has  not  forfeited  his  citizenship  by  electing  to  adhere   to  the 

21  government  of  the  United  States,  Avho  shall  be  qualified  to  vote 
'2,2  for  a  member  of  the  most  numerous  branch  of  the  Sate  Legisla- 
23  ture  of  the  State  wherein  he  resides,  shall  be  entitled  to  vote  at 
21  the  place  or  places  in  his  State  at  which  he  would  be  entitled  to 
2o  vote  in  an    election  for  such  member  of  such  Legislature. 

2ti  X.  But,  in  case  such  citi/en  shall  be  in  the  military  service  of 

27  the  Confederate  States,  or  in  case  he  shall  be  driven  from  his  home 

28  by  the    occupation    of  his  country  by  the  public  enemy,  or  the 

29  movements  of  his  troops,  or  in  case  the  elections  cannot  be  held  at 

30  the  usual  places  of  holding  the  same,  by  reason  of  such  occupation 

31  or  movements,  then  such  citizen  shall    be  allowed  to  vote  at  the 

32  places  in  such  State  hereinafter  provided,  or  in  the  camps  of  the 

33  army. 

34  VI.  In  every  State. in  which  elections  are  to  ,bc  held  for  the 
S5  Congressional  Districts  separately,  polls  shall  be  opened  by  the 

36  officers,  authorities  or  persons,  authorized  to  hold  such   election, 

37  at  the  court  house  of  each  county  for  each  Congressional  district, 


"p.. 


s 

88  from  which  the  vote  of  any  citizen,  entitled  to  vote    under  this 

39  act,  shall  be  offered;  and  the  returning  officers  shall  make  dupli- 

40  cate  returns  of  the  votes  of    such   citizens  from  other  districts 

41  to  the  Governor  of  the  State  within  three  days  after  such  election. 

42  VII.     In   every  State  in  which,  under  the  provisions  of  the 

43  act  of  the  present  Congress,  such  election  shall  be  held  by  general 

44  ticket,  such    citizen    may  vote   at  any  place   of  voting  in   such 

45  State. 

46  VIII.  In  every    case  in    which  the   State  governments  have 

47  failed  to  provide  for  elections  to  be  held  in  the  camps  of  the  army, 

48  such  elections  for  representatives  shall  be  held   therein  as  fol- 

49  lows  : 

50  IX.  In  every    army  corps,  diviyion  or  command,  the  colonel 

51  of  each  regiment,  or  other    officer  in  command  thereof,  or  the 

52  officer   i»  command  of  any  less  body  on  detached  service,  shall 

53  appoint  two   judges  and  three  clerks  to  open  and  hold  such  elec- 

54  tion,  who  shall   hold  the  same,  and  make  out  the  poll-books  and 

55  returns,  under   the  same  rules  and  regulations  as  if  the  same 

56  were    opened  and  held  at  the  usual  place  of  holding  the  same  in 

57  the  State    from  which  such  regiment  or  command  came,  and  in 

58  case  such  election  shall  be  by  general  ticket,  shall  allow  all  per- 

59  sons  entitled,  to  vote  therein.     But  if  the  same  sli;ill  be  by  dis- 

60  tricts,  then  such  judges  and  clerks  shall  keep  separate  poll  books 

61  and  make  separate  returns  for  each  district.     Or  such  command- 


4 

62  ing  officer  may  appoint  such  judges  and  clerks  foi*  each  district 

63  or  80  many  as  may  be  deemed  convenient  and  proper. 

64  X,  The  returns  of  such  elections  in  camps  shall  be  forwarded 

65  by  the  several  commanding  officers  appointing  the  judges  and 

66  clerks  as  aforesaid,  to  the  highest  officer  in  grade,  and  the  senior 

67  of  the  grade  from  the  State  for  "which  the  same  is  held,  in  the  en- 

68  campment  or  army  in  which  the  same  is  held,  whose  duty  it  shall 

69  be  at  once  to  forward  the  same  to  the  Governor  of  the  State,  or 

70  the  same  may,  if  more  convenient,  be  forwarded  by  such  cora- 

71  manding  officer  directly  to  such  Governor. 

72  XI.  In  case  the  exigencies  of  the  public  service  prevent  the 

73  holding  the  elections  in  camp  under  this  act,  or  under  any  State 

74  law  passed  for  that  purpose,  at  the  time  provided  by  law,  the 

75  same  may  be  held  at  any  time  within  ten  days  after  the  prevent- 

76  ing  cause  may  cease,  the  time  for  holding  the  same*to  be  fixed  by 

77  the  officer  authorized  to  appoint  the  judges  and  clerks. 

78  XII.  Such  officer  shall  be  authorized  to  administer  the  proper 

79  oaths  to  the  judges  and  clerks,  or  they  may  administer  the  same 

80  to  each  other. 

81  XIII.  Every  person  concerned  in  holding  such  elections  in 

82  any  State  or  camp,  shall  take  an  oath  to  support  the  constitution 

83  of  Conledcrs  o  States,  and  to  discharge  his  duty  in  holding  such 

* 

84  election  U.i  h  fully  and  impartially. 


